Precious Child
by FreeVirtualHugs
Summary: The seventh book is over and after painstakingly re-building Hogwarts Harry decided to have one more year of school to complete his Newts. A disgraced rival force feeds him a de-aging potion, turning him into a child.Family/Friendship/hurt/comfort/humour
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** (crummy title, I know, don't rub it in) this story immediately follows HPatDH but ignores the epilogue. It's about how Harry is transformed into a child by a potion brewed by a certain slimy Slytherin. Harry's friends must adapt to this very timid and different version of Harry while a complex potion is brewed to restore him to his former self. A story of how love and friendship can triumph even the most absurd situations. **NOT A SLASH**! _**Please**_ read the AN's at the end of each chapter because they help you understand the confusing parts (I'm a crap writer so I bet they'll be many) and it gives you my unworthy opinion as well. PLEASE read them, they should help and it would mean so much to me!  Please review as well!

**Characters (in order of appearance):** Harry, Hermione, Ron (they share second place), Ginny, Dumbledore, Neville and (git extravaganza) Draco (not so much). Plus lots of others but these are the sort of mains.

**Warnings:** Language…13 +…Minor – medium Dursley abuse.

**Type: **Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort/De-aging

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters or the idea of Harry Potter. I am doing this simply to entertain myself and hopefully a few others. I'm not making, or planning to make, any money out of this I DON"T OWN IT! Please don't take it off the website or sue me. _GOD BLESS J.!!!_

**Chapter 1 - Tricked**

Harry awoke in a wave of panic. His hand flew to his mouth, instantly to block the scream that threatened to waken every one in Gryffindor tower. Sheens of cold sweat shone on his face and dampened his back while his chest was rising and falling rapidly. At least ten minutes later, Harry had managed to calm himself down and he lay panting in his bedspread, his blanket knocked off long ago from his night-time thrashing.

A nightmare… Harry sat up in bed and cradled his head in his hands still trying to master the concept of even breathing. Harry had been blessed with many nights of uninterrupted sleeps after Voldemort's fall, but tonight was horrifying. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a nightmare this bad before.

Groping blindly for his glasses, Harry walked away from his bed silently over towards the window which was half open. He sat and stared at the quarter moon while a cool summer night air gently played across his face.

_Just a stupid dream, not like you've had worse before._

In Harry's mind eye he could see parts of the horribly vivid dream playing over and over again: the battle, the casualties and the sheer terror that could almost be tasted in the air. But worst of all there was the blame. It was Harry's fault for getting them involved. He shuddered, these were not pleasant memories and he pushed them out of his head with great difficulty. As he had heard once before, 'it does not do to dwell on dreams'. Glancing over at the clock he whispered a curse as it was nearly four in the morning and yet the sky was still black as if it were the middle of the night.

Sighing, he stood up and stretched and headed for his trunk. He knew that trying to get back to sleep was hopeless so he rummaged through his trunk to find the Marauders Map. This could often occupy him for nearly an hour, so he thought he'd give it a try. The enchanted map showed peace in the castle as everyone was a sleep except for a few ghosts that were wandering the corridors and Mrs Norris, Filch's evil cat. Scowling slightly and the caretaker's cat's name, he turned the page over and saw something – or rather, someone – which confused the young wizard greatly.

Draco Malfoy was wandering around the castle, on his own. And then, curiously, as he reached the end of the corridor he turned around and walked the other way without hesitation. Harry stared at the dot marked at the Malfoy boy intently and his eyes widened slightly when he realised that Malfoy was pacing, backwards and forwards down the corridor. And what Harry found to be even more confusing is that he wasn't far away from Gryffindor tower, diffidently enemy lines for him at least.

Frowning and curious, Harry slipped a jumper over his pyjamas and shoved his feet into some socks and sneakers while grabbing his father's invisibility cloak, his wand and the Map and climbed, quietly out of Gryffindor tower. He kept his wand lit with _Lumos_ as he walked under the cloak toward the suspicious Malfoy. Finally he turned a corner and there Draco was walking towards him from the other end of the corridor. The first thing Harry noticed that Draco was wearing some bizarre pair of green goggles that were a lot larger than his actual eyes. He would have looked funny to Harry except he was smirking in Harry's general direction. Harry froze, his heart beating wildly. Those comical looking goggles could see through invisibility cloaks. He wasn't afraid of Malfoy but he'd prefer to not start a duel right there and then.

Before Harry could even react Draco gave a violent swish of his wand and Harry found himself unable to move one inch of his body. He was completely frozen by Malfoy's non-verbal spell. Shit.

"Evening, Potter." said Malfoy, smirking even more now that his opponent had been incapacitated. He removed his absurd goggles from his face and then slowly, relishing the sense of power off his rival, gently tugged the cloak off of Harry and let it drop to the floor. Even though there was nothing to stop Draco searching through his pockets he was glad the Marauders Map was safely out of sight, and Malfoy had no clue Harry even owned it.

"I suppose you want to know why I've been out here pacing the hall for hours on end." He drawled "In fact, I've been doing it for every night since you got out of the Hospital Wing hoping that you'd go on one of your little night-time strolls."

Harry was deeply confused and frustrated. So Malfoy had set a stupid trap for him, and thanks to Harry's nightmare he'd walked straight into it. Whatever was about to happen, Harry hardly reckoned it would be good.

"I bet you're a bit confused right know, being as thick as you are. So I'll make this simple. I hate you, very, very much. I'm going to humiliate you for a few weeks using a _very _complex potion I've been brewing. When you wake up tomorrow you will have every recollection of tonight and every night before that but the potion will have transformed you into an infant. Just a bit of justice I thought, you know, to deflate your big head a little bit. I'm sure your ego will be cut down quite a bit to size when their changing your nappy's." He finished smugly, a wicked grin on his face. Then he took a flask from his cloak and uncorked it.

He moved closer to Harry who was filled with an acid hatred that he was surprised that Draco couldn't feel it radiating from Harry's skin. Unfortunately, Harry had his lips open ever so slightly when Malfoy had frozen him and so Draco let every drop of the potion trickle slowly into Harry's mouth, leaving it to run down his throat and into his stomach.

And then Malfoy, the scum, drew his wand out again and the next thing Harry knew was that everything went black.

**A/N: OMG! I know I hate Draco too! This chapter is more of a prologue because it's a bit shorter than the other chapters I'm going to write. I hope that this will assure every body that I do not like or sympathise much with Draco and will be writing about him just as JK Rowling would, as a school bully. This is not really a slash so Harry and Ginny start and end up together (like it should be and how I like it). Draco has an evil little plot going on here but it won't work quite how he planned….that's all I'll say for now! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Introductions

**Chapter 2 – Introductions**

Harry woke up in the morning, extremely groggy. He knew that Aunt Petunia would come knocking on his cupboard door very soon so he opened his eyes to find he was not in his cupboard, in fact, he wasn't even sure if he was in Surrey any more.

He was in a luxurious and large, four posted bed with crimson hangings. He was wearing a very, very large pair of pyjamas that were diffidently not his. And to top it all off, as he peeped out of the hangings, he saw he was in a room with other beds just like his in a large room with flagstone walls. Loud snoring was the only noise he could hear and it came from the bed closest to his. Harry drew his head swiftly back behind the hanging, his hand trembling just like his lower lip. He had no idea where he was or how he got there, and to make matters worse, if he ever got home his aunt and uncle, they would be very angry. Harry also noticed a very large pair or glasses slipping off he edge of his nose. They looked exactly like his glasses except for the fact they were about twice a big and didn't have any sticky tape around the bridge so he took them off and placed them beside him on the bed making his surroundings fuzzy.

Harry sat there on the bed and hugged his knees focusing very hard on trying not to cry. This proved very hard and he breathed short shallow breaths as tears stang his eyes. As Harry quietly sniffed and cried on his new grand bed, he heard footsteps coming from a staircase at the opposite side of the room. He panicked. What if Harry wasn't supposed to be here and whoever that person was would get really angry with him. Odd things such as this happened to him and he knew he wouldn't be able to explain himself. And then they'd telephone his aunt and uncle and they'd be even madder. Harry made a split decision to hide somewhere where he couldn't be found.

He forced his tiny hands through the giant sleeves of the pyjama shirt and quickly lowered him self off the bed. Harry held up his ridiculously long pants and ran to a door that seemed locked. Harry could here the footsteps becoming slowly louder and in desperation Harry simply flung himself behind a wall which was a small, three walled inclosed section with a flat cushioned surface on a seat just below a window. The curtains were drawn and Harry could only see small beams of sunlight coming through the tiny gap down the middle. He held his breath as he heard footsteps enter the room.

"Harry, Ron. Honestly you two, it's time to get up. We going to Hogsmeade today and we can't be late for the train!" A young woman spoke accusingly but Harry felt as if she weren't really angry. Harry did trembled when he had heard his name along with another boy's name called 'Ron'.

He heard her pull back his the hangings around a bed that was probably his because Harry heard the lady gasp quietly. "Harry? Harry, are you here?" she called her voice thick with worry and confusion. Harry decided that she was looking for him so he'd better face her.

"I'm – um – I'm over here…" he said nervously, not moving from his plastered position against the wall.

"Harry what wro-" she stopped in mid-sentence as she turned the corner and gazed down at a small boy with her mouth open. Harry flinched and continued trembling as she stared at him. She looked older…but young and Harry tried to guess how old she was, older than him at least. She had thick bushy brown hair that was tied up with a pretty blue ribbon and was wearing jeans and a pink sweater with a small burn on the side of it. She looked pretty, no matter what her age thought Harry.

"H-Harry," she whispered "What happened to you?"

"I-I-I'm sorry." He said unsure of what she had meant. Harry seemed okay to him apart from the large pyjamas even for Dudley's standard. Apologies were some of the first words he had ever learnt and even though they didn't save him from being punished he had fallen into a 'sorry' habit.

"What's-" The young woman re-thought her question as the answer seemed obvious. The little boy continued to look up at her, frightened. Hermione had never seen Harry look like that and her mind came to a very confusing solution.

"Harry, don't you know I am?" he asked him in that same shocked voice.

Despite spending years with the Dursley's, Harry felt a little stung by how she seemed so shocked by his appearance. It hurt to know that she didn't like him…even though he couldn't blame her really. He was a bad boy, and bad boys got punished, or so he was told often enough. He shook his head to answer her question because he was sure his voice would be teary if he used it. He was also punished if he cried, but usually his guardians could not hear him in his cupboard when he wept as he was a silent cryer,

"Really….how old are you, Harry?" she asked seeming flustered by his head shake.

Harry didn't like being asked these questions even though he knew he shouldn't be sad. He just wanted to go away from this strange place. He dropped his eyes to the floor as his throat crumpled and he felt new tears sliding down his cheeks and his breath becoming uneven. He didn't know how to talk without bursting into tears so he held up six fingers.

The woman looked horrified and swooped down so that she was kneeling and only slightly taller than him.

"Oh – Harry I'm so sorry I upset you! I didn't mean to, I was just surprised that's all." She said placing her hand on the shaking boy's shoulder. He looked up at her and she looked like she was on the verge of tears herself.

"I – I don't know what's going on." He whispered. He wasn't a terrified now that she wasn't looming over him but he felt bad for making her cry too. He was still shaking so she sat down; legs crossed, and picked Harry up delicately and placed him in her lap. She then pulled him into a hug and rubbed her hand against his back in circles.

"It's OK, Harry. I won't hurt you. Shush, now." She crooned soothingly. Hermione had spent quite a few of her past summers working part time as a babysitter for muggle children which she quite enjoyed. Despite his common sense Harry draped his small arms around her neck and under her warm hair and leant his head on her shoulder. He knew that if he'd have done this with Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon, he would have been slapped and locked in his cupboard for the rest of the day. But it felt so wonderful to have someone hold him like this that he didn't care. He eventually reduced his tears to a small sniffle.

"How – how do you know my name? Who are you?" he asked after awhile of cuddling.

"My name's Hermione Granger and I'm one of your best friends." She said quietly "Harry, you may find this hard to believe, but yesterday you were seventeen. Somehow you must have turned back into a six year old over night."

"Oh." Harry said confused. He tried to grasp this odd concept but eventually he decided it didn't matter very much because he had always been strange. "Where are we?" He asked pulling back from the hug and looking at Hermione testing the boundaries of her kindness towards questions.

"Where at school called Hogwarts," she explained "You first came year when you were eleven to learn about magic. You're a wizard, Harry, a very powerful wizard."

Harry's eyes widened. "Really." he asked bewildered "But Uncle Vernon said that there was no such thing as magic." He finished softly, fear in his eyes.

"There is," Hermione told him smiling "and you love magic and Hogwarts."

"I don't understand very well, I'm sorry" Harry said timidly looking up at her as if expecting punishment for his lack of knowledge.

Over the next hour Hermione explained all about Harry's past, leaving out all of the gruesome and sad parts that a six year old hardly needs to know. He listened intently eyes widening with every new chapter of his life. He smiled embarrassed when Hermione told him that he was the best Quidditch player in the school after explaining all about the sport to him in detail. Even at six he had a natural enthusiasm for the game.

When she placed him out of her lap and back onto the floor his pyjama pants fell down as they were absolutely huge for him. And even though his shirt went slightly past his knees, little Harry blushed scarlet. Hermione smiled at him kindly and apologised because she had forgotten the spell to shrink clothes to fit the person who was wearing them. (Something she rarely did, it startled her. It was probably the shock, she thought.) Still blushing, Harry nodded and looked down anxiously to see if the pyjama shirt covered everything.

"Harry, I'm going to wake Ron up now." She told him standing up herself. He was looking longingly at his pyjama pants and jumped when he realised she'd been eyeing him with amusement twinkling in her eyes. He tried to step back into the folds of cloth and held up one side with his left hand.

"OK." Harry said as he reached for her hand with his free one. Hermione took his and lightly rubbed his palm with her thumb. She walked towards the bed with a loud snorer behind the hangings. Harry was very excited to meet Ron as Hermione had said they were best friends the moment they met when thy where eleven. Hermione opened the hangings to reveal a boy curled up in sheets, snoring his head off.

"Ron, wake up! I – have someone I'd like you to meet." She finished glancing down at Harry with a smile. Harry clutched her hand tighter as a very tired someone sat up in bed. He took one look at Harry and his mouth fell open.

"Er – Ron this is six year old Harry. I found him this morning in Harry's bed." Hermione said, nervously looking at the little boy to see how he would take this tactless greeting. Harry's face fell and he began to tremble and Ron continued to stare at him and then looked down and his feet.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron said after a few seconds.

"Ron, language!" Hermione snapped.

"What happened to him…why's he turn into a little kid?" Ron asked completely dumfounded. "I'm dreaming, right? Tell me I'm dreaming this is just too weird." He mumbled rubbing his eyes. Harry's face and eyes burned a tinny bit from embarrassment. "This is insane! What's Harry been poking his nose into now, for Merlin's sake, to make him turn back into a – a – this?" Ron ranted looking at Hermione

"Ron!" said Hermione angrily "Harry has just woken up believing to still be in the Dursley's house and ends up here with no idea how he got here. Then I have to explain the last seven years of his life to him. He's only _six years old_ and you're insulting! Can you be any more obtuse?" she finished.

Harry didn't like this situation at all. First, he thought he was being yelled at by his supposed best friend and then Hermione's fighting with _her_ friend because of Harry. To make matters even worse, he was beginning to cry and was clutching Hermione's hand. Ron probably thought he was a big cry baby.

During Hermione's little speech Ron's face fell into a look of deepest shame. He also noticed that he'd made his best friend cry. His ears went pink as he looked down from Hermione's furious glare. This was not what some one want's to be greeted with first thing in the morning. He was feeling pretty darn crappy now.

"Oh – Harry its OK, don't be upset." Hermione pleaded after leaning over and picking Harry up to rest of her hip.

Ron was completely disgusted with himself. Mentally cursing his 'slow morning' attitude, he decided he wouldn't continue the bad first impression. He got out of bed and drew the hangings to hide the unmade sheets.

"Aw, sorry Harry," he said, still half bewildered himself "I didn't mean it. I'm just a little slow in the morning." He said using jokingly. "Look, let's restart. Hi, Harry, I'm Ron." he said, holding out his hand to the miniature of his best friend. The child, whose face was stained with tears from the whole morning, slowly reached out to shake the older boy's hand. Ron grinned a bit.

"C'mon 'Mione, you can let him down now." Ron said "Do you reckon we should go the hospital wing?" he added, lightly so not to frighten Harry into thinking that there was something wrong with him.

Harry was let down and he rubbed at his face to get rid of the tears. Ron handed him a clean hanky from a draw in his bedside table. He smiled at Harry as the boy gently took it from Ron.

"Thankyou, Ron." He said nervously. His friend leaned down to pat his shoulder and ended up hugging the boy instead. Harry thought he hugged almost as well as Hermione and so Harry told him. Ron laughed and then hesitated, he wasn't sure if he should treat Harry like Ginny. He looked awkward for a minute but then brushed away some hair and kissed Harry's forehead. Harry smiled, he couldn't remember the last time he'd smiled so much in one day. (This was only three, but it was a record for little Harry)

Hermione was looking at Ron with a grateful and proud expression on her face which was responded by Ron smiling cheekily and whispering, "Do you really think I have no experience with crying kids? I can be sensitive too you know." He smiled ruefully at her.

"Well you certainly don't show it very often." She said warmly.

"'cause that's no fun." He bit back at her playfully and then he kissed her quickly on her lips and Hermione blushed and then Harry blushed and looked down at his feet again. Ron smiled and then clapped his hands. "OK." He said in a business like tone, "I suggest we go and see Dumbledore!" said Ron as he disappeared behind his bed hangings to get dressed.

"Yes that's probably the best solution." Hermione said matter-of-factly. She was leading Harry down the stairs calling to Ron to be at the portrait in five minutes. Harry stopped right before they got to the stairs.

"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked, gently. Harry blushed again; he wasn't used to people being so concerned about him or his feelings. He was also blushing because Ron had said they were going to meet Dumbledore who Hermione had said was the greatest wizard the world has ever known and that he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He had just realised he's let his oversized pants fall down and Harry didn't particularly want to be introduced to anyone else without any pants on.

"Um…" he said and the expectant Hermione. "Could I have some pants, please?" he asked still wary about how far he would exercise his new friends' tolerance, growing steadily redder in the face. Hermione was struggling not to giggle at Harry in such a state and managed a very motherly and sympathetic smile.

"Well, we don't have and clothes that fit you Harry." She said apologetically. Harry looked even more uncomfortable than Hermione ever thought possible. "I'm sure Dumbledore will know the spell. In the mean time Harry, there's nothing to be embarrassed about and there's nothing that can be done to help it, so don't worry about it." She said. She couldn't believe that those awful muggles had made Harry so ashamed of himself. It could also be the fact that he had only known Hermione for a short time that he was uncomfortable being nearly naked in front of a girl. Hermione frowned slightly as she pushed the thought from her mind and guided Harry down to the dormitory. A boy that little shouldn't be so concerned about such things.

Little Harry stood transfixed at the big, squashy armchairs and roaring fire that were waiting for them. Hermione smiled at him as Ron came bounding down the stairs a minute later, with his hair very askew but he, himself, seemed fully awake.

"We're lucky that every one went to Hogsmeade today." Ron stated "I mean Harry draws enough attention as it is." Hermione shot him a warning glare but Harry was still gazing at the room with wonder in his eyes. Ron chuckled and stepped out of the portrait hole, holding the door open for Harry and Hermione. As they walked through, Hermione felt Harry tighten his grip as he first laid eyes on Hogwarts.

**A/N: This chapter took a long time to perfect (not that it is) because I had to think of Harry's state of mind. Sad? Scared? Couldn't care less cause he was away from the Dursleys? As you can see, I picked scared. I really like this chapter it's really cute. I chose to make Harry really timid in my story because I was sort of drawing from the abuse he suffered as a child. He sort of toughens up when he gets around eight or nine. Love Ron in this chapter, he's so sweet!!!!!**

**P.S. I couldn't resist making his pants fall down, I honestly couldn't, it just seemed the right thing to do at the time…I know I'm a bully.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Complications and Solutions

**Chapter 3 - Complications and Solutions**

Albus Dumbledore's portrait was already awake when three of his former students walked into his office. In spite of himself, Dumbledore's eyes widened. He saw the timid little boy whom he recognised immediately clutching both of his companion's hands.

Luckily, he gathered himself quite swiftly and proceeded by greeting them.

"Good morning, you three, why I haven't spoken to you in _days_." He said cheerfully "May I offer you a Sherbet Lemon?" he said gesturing to a wooden bowl on the desk. Ron and Hermione shook there heads, smiling, but little Harry bit his lip and then glanced toward the jar nervously.

"Do you want a sweet, Harry?" Hermione asked kneeling down again. Harry smiled nervously and gave a small nod. He liked it when his friends came down to his level because it felt like they were accepting him rather than looking down there noses at him. (Super Nanny, BOOH YAH!)

"Do help yourself, Harry." Dumbledore offered, chuckling as Harry cautiously took one sweet and popped it in his mouth. Ron put his hand on Harry's head and looked back up at Dumbledore.

"We have no idea what happened, sir." said Ron.

"Well, then I think you should just tell me exactly what you know and go the hospital wing for a quick exam for Harry." Dumbledore said still smiling.

Together Harry's best, and oldest, friends told the picture what happened when they awoke. And to Harry's deep gratitude they left out the parts where he had cried and other such unimportant details. Harry decided that he liked the portrait of Dumbledore very, very much because his eyes twinkled even when he wasn't smiling and he continued to offer Harry sweets whenever he noticed Harry had nothing in his mouth. After the full run down of the morning given by Hermione and Ron, Dumbledore was contemplative for a minute or two, except for when he offered Harry another round of Sherbet Lemon.

"It seems to be the workings of a potion, I think. As most spells usually can't penetrate the mind such as this…they tend to prefer the physical form of people." He explained, frowning slightly while Hermione nodded, obviously already knowing this. He peered down at the three people in his office and noticed that Harry seemed unhappy about something.

"Does that mean that something's wrong with my mind?" he said anxiously, to which Hermione and Ron looked at there former headmaster with stricken faces.

"No, I'm quite sure that you are a normal, healthy, yet slightly underfed six-year-old." Dumbledore said with amusement. "Now Miss Granger and Mr Weasely, I trust you will want to take care of Harry while a potion is brewed for his recovery?" He asked them.

"Of, course!" Ron said indignantly, who, to Dumbledore's pride, seemed shocked at the idea of not taking care of his friend. It was almost a wonder that at least one of the Weasely's weren't put in Hufflepuff, loyal to the core.

"We love him." Hermione added to the white haired painting who nodded, smiling. Harry looked up at Hermione and Ron with an odd expression on his face.

"You – you love me?" he asked in a small voice. It sounded as if Hermione had just spoken his fondest wish aloud and she and Ron were making it come true. They both stared down at him, and then kneeled for a big group hug.

"'course we love you mate." Ron said, his voice sounding thick with emotion.

"I-" Harry started, his voice sounded like it were of the verge of a very huge sob. "I love you too." He whispered as if the words could be tasted on his tongue just like the sherbet lemons he'd just swallowed.

Dumbledore watched the small group cling to each other. Impressively enough, both of the older students, unlike Harry, were winning the battle of tears.

"Love is your greatest strength, Harry. Good day to you." He said a smile plastered on his face as they waved him goodbye and left the room. He was just about positive that this smile would last until lunch time.

Harry sniffed all the way the Hospital Wing, feeling as though he could scream with happiness, but he didn't as it would startle Ron and Hermione. Harry trotted happily holding both Hermione's and Ron's hand and they made there way down through this amazing place. Harry stared at portraits and statues, gawking at suites of armour, nearly passing out when peeves started pelting the three of them with water balloons. The only reason Ron wasn't loudly cursing the meddlesome peeves at the top of his lungs as they sprinted away was because of Harry, he was very protective of their friend, six years old or otherwise.

When they were nearly there, Harry began to lag behind and his friends were dragging him along before Ron picked Harry up and placed him on his back. Harry soon fell asleep with his arms wrapped around Rons neck and quietly whispered his thanks before drifting off.

Madam Pomfrey was very disturbed when a six year old was brought to her. She woke him up and introduced herself. She tried to speak very gently to Harry after the two students in his company told her he was very easily scared. She checked him with her wand, and was shocked to find that he had ingested a potion that was supposed to turn him back into infanthood with a full memory. Who ever had made the potion had brewed it perfectly but, for some reason, it resulted in memory drained six year old child.

She clucked her tongue when she saw him flinch when she held his face gently for an eye test and conjured up a pair of smaller glasses to fit little Harry's face. He looked nervously at her wand as she waved it around his body, checking hat he was healthy. Who ever his guardians were, she would diffidently like to give them a good taking to. As she hurried back from the medicinal cupboard with a jar of bright purple mixture, she wondered who had given him this potion in the first place.

"Alright then, Mr Potter," the nurse said not unkindly but still business-like "Shirt off so I can rub this on your back to ensure no nasty side affects on your internal organs from the potion." She noticed with very well hidden amusement that Harry had gone bright red and bit his lip.

"Harry," Hermione said "Remember what I told you?" she asked him gently. He looked up at her with miserable, pleading eyes. He was obviously easily embarrassed even when he was six as well as seventeen.

"I – I don't want to do it." He mumbled weakly looking down and his hands knowing that his say didn't have and weight in the matter. Grown ups always got their way but to Harry's surprise, Ron took sympathy on his friend.

"C'mon Hermione, don't make him do if he doesn't want to." He said fairly, earning him stern look from Madam Pomfrey. "Harry?" he asked the red faced child "Would it be better if me or Hermione did it with our eyes closed?" he asked. Harry gave a small vigorous nod and whispered "You please."

Madam Pomfrey and Hermione sighed but said nothing. Hermione hated seeing Harry like this, especially at this age and she was sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't used to crying six years olds either.

An hour later, Harry, Hermione and Ron were eating sandwich after sandwich in the common room, as they had missed breakfast. Harry noted happily many times that these were the best sandwiches he'd ever eaten and Ron and Hermione laughed when he took his third piece and sniffed at it, his eyes rolling in pleasure, before taking a huge bite of the bread, ham and cheese. They were quite confused when at first Harry had looked at the sandwiches with a hungry and pained expression. He backed away and watched the plate as if waiting. Hermione handed him a sandwich to his great surprise and wondered why she was offering it to him. He always had to wait for leftovers and usually with Dudley they were scarce. About ten minutes after they had finished eating and Harry had gotten the idea that he was in fact allowed to eat, he had fallen asleep curled up on couch facing the fire, snoring softly.

Ron and Hermione were starting their homework and every so often they took a glance and the deeply asleep Harry. Well, Hermione was doing home work and ron was writing to his family, playing with his deluminator and reading the Daily Prophet. It was past lunchtime when Ron began to complain that he was hungry but soon his prayers were answered. Suddenly Kreacher appeared with a large tray filled with delicious food.

"Hello Sir and Miss, friends of young Master Potter." The elf squeaked smiling at them. The moment he had appeared, Ron and Hermione began smiling too, as they noted that Kreacher was still on good terms with them. "Kreacher has been sent to bring food to Harry Potter and his friends. But Kreacher is sad Harry Potter had this happen to him. Oh, yes." He said glancing at the sleeping boy. Then he placed the tray on a table, made a short bow, and disappeared with a large crack.

They had been working and eating until late afternoon in quiet whispers the whole time and giggled between themselves. They were perfectly content until Ron cast a worried glance at Harry and said. "I was worried for him today." He said tearing his eyes away from the sleeping angel. Hermione was looking at him curiously and raised her eyebrows to urge him to continue. Ron looked a little guilty and said, "I could feel sores on his back after I had closed my eyes. They were scars and scabs and everything, but he just saud they were tiny scratches from playing with his cousin. He wouldn't even let me look at them" He said as Hermione looked horrified with her mouth open. "Yeah, I know. He wouldn't tell me _how_ he's actually got them but made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone."

"But…why?" Hermione asked him in a whisper, her eyes wide.

"He said he didn't want to see any one sad - or mad." Ron said gazing at their little friend with pity. "And also, I think that some things, _really_, never change." Ron added with a small grin.

When Hermione sent him a questioning look he just shrugged and said "Harry had his pride even when he was young because, I guess, it was the only thing he had that no one could take away. He was used to his dignity and he didn't want 'girls to see him'." Ron quoted grimly.

"He's _six_" objected Hermione.

"No," said Ron "He's Harry."

**Ooh! A little bit of depth into Harry's past and character. Cool theory from Ron at the end…I just sort of made it up as I was writing, I think it turned out pretty well. I've decided to make Dumbledore the headmaster even though it's just a portrait. Oh gosh! Please don't rub it in…I know Dumbledore's last sentence is so corny! I couldn't think of what else to make him say! I was a little mean to Harry in this chapter with the Hospital wing and all that embarrassment. I think I'm going to pick on Harry quite a bit this story! OMG I know, I'm so mean! Don't lie…you think it makes the story good, too. I can't be the only one.**

**P.S. When I originally wrote this it had Dobby as the elf but I remembered that he died *tear* and so I changed it to Kreacher so it would make sense. I'm so sad about Dobby 'cause I loved him so much. :'-( **


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